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RATE OF PERCEIVED EXERTION
Heart rate is important but listening to your body also has a lot of advantages. There are more
variables involved in how hard you should work out than just heart rate. Your stress level, physical
health, emotional health, temperature, humidity, the time of day, the last time you ate and what you
ate all contribute to the intensity at which you should workout. If you listen to your body, it will tell you
all of these things.
The rate of perceived exertion (RPE), also known as the Borg scale, was developed by Swedish
physiologist G.A.V. Borg. This scale rates exercise intensity from 6 to 20 depending upon how you
feel or the perception of your effort.
The scale is as follows:
Rating Perception of Effort
6 Minimal
7 Very, very light
8 Very, very light +
9 Very light
10 Very light +
11 Fairly light
12 Comfortable
13 Somewhat hard
14 Somewhat hard +
15 Hard
16 Hard +
17 Very hard
18 Very hard +
19 Very, very hard
20 Maximal
You can get an approximate heart rate level for each rating by simply adding a zero to each rating.
For example, a rating of 12 will result in an approximate heart rate of 120 beats per minute. Your RPE
will vary depending on the factors discussed earlier. That is the major benefit of this type of training. If
your body is strong and rested, you will feel strong, and your pace will feel easier. When your body is
in this condition, you are able to train harder, and the RPE will support this. If you are feeling tired and
sluggish, it is because your body needs a break. In this condition, your pace will feel harder. Again,
this will show up in your RPE, and you will train at the proper level for that day.
